Bridge



(No Model.)

L. H. WILBUR.

BRIDGE.

No. 587,540. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

LEBBEUS II. \VILBUR, OF OVEGO, NEXV YORK.

BRIDGE. i

ziPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,540, dated August3, 189'7.

Application filed March 20, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LEBBEUS H. \VILBUR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Owego, in the county of Tioga and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and. useful Improvements in Bridges, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the drawings hereto annexed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view Fig. 2, a detail view ofone of the pillar-foundations, and Fig. 3 a small plan of the bridgehaving a double driveway over it.

The essential object of this invention is to provide an improved bridgefor use especially at street-railway crossings, the construction beingsuch that vehicle-drivers have the op tion of either passing up over thebridge and thus keeping entirely away from the railwaytracks or passingdown to the under driveway and driving straight across the tracks orturning either to the right or left and along the street or drivewaycontaining the railway-tracks, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings byletters, Adesignates the main structure ofthe bridge, which is supported upon pillars of the usual constructionand which is connected to the. usual downwardly-inclined approaches A Aat the ends of the bridge.

A suitable pathway B for pedestrians runs up over the bridge along eachside thereof, these pathways being guarded on each side by suitablefences or railings B, and a pathway B may be provided on the groundalong each side of the bridge to permit pedestrians to pass down to therailroad-tracks. At one side of each of the inclined approaches A isformed an opening 0, which is sufficiently large to permit vehicles topass therethrough and which is surrounded bya suitable guard fence orrailing.

The two openings lie in between the pedestrian-pathways B and extendpractically the full length of the inclined approaches, and both are onthe same side of the bridge, as shown, thereby leaving the entire uppersurface of the bridge between the openings, eX- cepting the space takenup by the pedestrianpathways, free for the use of vehicles passing overthe bridge, enabling them to readily Serial No. 628,482. (No model.)

turn out to pass each other should oppositelygoing vehicles meetthereon. The inclined approaches are of course reduced to singledriveways by the openings O;v but this will not cause seriousinconvenience unless the traffic at this point is unusually heavy, asthe turnout portion permits vehicles to pass each other on the main partof the bridge; but should the driver be in great haste he can pass downthrough the opening and cross under the bridge.

A bridge of this plan will be of particular advantage atrailroad-crossings where the railway-tracks are laid on one of theintersecting streets. In these cases it is very necessary not only tohave a bridge to carry the vehicles over without crossing the tracks atthe surface, but also necessary to permit the vehicles to have access tothe intersecting street containing the tracks.

There are, as is well known, many railwaycrossings where an overheadbridge would be built were it not for the fact that a bridge of theordinary construction, by reason of the narrowness of the street, wouldentirely cut off the public from access to the street or drivewaycontaining the tracks, and this would be seriously inconvenient in allcases, but especially in those cases where it isnecessary for vehiclesto pass onto the tracks or driveway alongside the same in order to getto the passenger or freight depots. By my present construction I adaptthe bridge to crossingsof this nature, the dividing of the approachesinto under and overhead entrances and providin g a turnout on top of thebridgebeing the essential features. v

In Fig. 3 is shown a bridge having a double driveway over it and asingle driveway under it, this construction being preferred Where thestreet is wide enough to permit it to be used. In this construction theturnout is of course not required, and the space between the openingsmaybe fenced off and included in the adjacent pathway for pedestriansand provided with seats or benches, &c., for their use.

I prefer supporting the pillars upon a foundation of my own design.(Shown in Fig. 3.) The pillar rests on a-cent-ral vertical stone a,resting endwise upon a foundation stone or slab b, buried in the earthat a sufficient depth to permit the upper end of stone Ct to projectabove the earth, preferably, about twelve inches. The stone (0 is setupright in a circular excavation, and the space around the stone isfilled in with loose stones and cement, which composition is allowed toset firmly, thereby closely hugging and supporting the stone. Thecircular depression or excavation, it will be observed, tapers upwardly,its narrowest portion being at the surface of the ground. The object ofthis construction is to prevent damage to the foundation by frost, thetapering form permitting the surrounding earth to rise or moveindependently of the foundation. In this manner a very strong foundationis secured that will endure almost indefinitely, and which of course maybe used in other structures than bridges, if I so desire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A highway-bridge spanning a street having a railway laid therein,said bridge having under driveway being opposite each other,

thereby leaving the surface of the bridge between the openings free tobe used as a turnout, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my. signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEBBEUS H. VILBUR.

Witnesses:

O. D. DAVIS, G. M. LAMASURE.

